August 19, 2014 1:06pm EDTAugust 19, 2014 1:06pm EDTRobert Griffin III isn't helping the Redskins with his so-called heroics. In fact, his reckless play puts himself and the team in jeopardy. If he keeps it up, the door opens more widely for Kirk Cousins.Robert Griffin III(AP Photo)

There’s no quarterback competition in Washington, not like the one sputtering along with the Browns. But there’s plenty of reason to believe the starting job is up in the air and that Kirk Cousins had better be ready when the time comes.

Why? Because Robert Griffin III doesn’t know how to get down on the ground, for the sake of his health and his team’s hopes—among other decisions throughout training camp and the preseason that are now unnerving a completely different head coach.

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“It is something that we have to continue to talk to him about, how important he is to this team and this franchise,’’ Jay Gruden said after Monday’s win over the Browns at FedEx Field. “When he gets out of the pocket, he needs to protect himself. He has a habit in his career of being able to get himself out of predicaments with his speed and his athleticism.

“But here, it is a 16-game season with the great talent across the league. He has to pick his shots and learn how to get down a little better.”

Against the Browns, Griffin failed to do any of that, over and over, to the increasing horror of the home crowd and a national TV audience tuning in for what they thought would be Johnny Manziel drama. They got that, but the RGIII subplot is just as much of a high-wire act, with just as extreme consequences.

Complicating matters is that this is not only not a new issue, it’s not new to the Gruden regime, which replaced the Mike Shanahan regime after last season. Gruden and Griffin had a mild sparring session during training camp in Richmond, Virginia over Griffin’s announced decision not to throw the ball away during drills.

“I want to try to keep the play alive and get guys that work on scramble drill,’’ he said then. “We don’t just say, ‘this play isn’t going to work.’ It might have been a sack, but we’re going to keep the play moving just to make sure we get those reps.”

Gruden’s reply: He and Griffin are going to “address that … I think there’s a point in time where he’s got to not make a bad play worse. That’s something we’re going to preach and eliminate the negative plays.”

Griffin sliding as clumsily as he did—reminiscent of the slide on which Hoyer tore up his knee last season—and taking multiple hits on at least two plays, surely qualify as “negative plays.” The “dress rehearsal” Week 3 preseason game is Saturday in Baltimore, and Griffin will play more in that game than the first two combined. At this rate, the chance of him running recklessly into a dangerous situation will go into the stratosphere, and the chance of him making it safely to opening day in Houston will plunge like the housing market.

If “all options are on the table” in Cleveland for the Manziel-Brian Hoyer face-off, then Gruden had better be ready to put them all out there for his team. Except maybe one— trading Cousins. Orioles All-Star centerfielder Adam Jones even suggested one Tuesday morning after witnessing the abuse Griffin absorbed.

My man @RGIII come through Bmore and I'll get u sliding in no time pimp. Keep u healthy #StayHungry

Griffin tried to talk through it afterward, to media and the public. First, to reporters in the locker room: “It’s good to be continually a work in progress focusing on getting down in those situations, knowing when to fight for extra yards and when not to. The fans have nothing to worry about there. I’ll keep getting better at that, I promise you that.”

And soon after, on Twitter:

Just want y'all to know I will keep working on getting down and not take those bigs hits. Got it right the third time